Satoshi Ohno(大野 智,Ōno Satoshi?, born November 26, 1980) is a Japanese idol, singer, actor, artist, and radio host. He is the lead vocalist and leader of Japanese boy band Arashi, hence his nickname Leader (リーダー,Rīdā?).

Ohno began his career in the entertainment industry when he joined the Japanese talent agency Johnny & Associates in 1994 at the age of 13. He started an acting career in 1997 when he was cast to be part of the stage play Kyo to Kyo. In 2008, Ohno became the first and the only artist from Johnny's to hold and open his own art exhibit titled "Freestyle" and received his first starring role in a Japanese television drama, for which he earned a handful of Best Actor awards. For his work as an artist, a singer, and an actor in Kaibutsu-kun the Movie, Ohno became one of the recipients of GQ Japan's Men of the Year Award in 2011.[1]

Ohno was born in Mitaka, Tokyo as the youngest child of his family. He has one older sister. During middle school, his mother sent in his application to Johnny & Associates without his knowledge.[2] An invitation to audition was sent back to Ohno, and he subsequently became a trainee in October 1994.[3] In order to focus on the stage play Kyo to Kyo, which ran from 1997 to 1998 during his trainee days, he withdrew from high school and moved to Kyoto.[2]

For music-related releases and activities as a member of Arashi, see Arashi.

Before his music debut with Arashi, Ohno wanted to resign from Johnny & Associates. However, then-president Johnny Kitagawa asked him to help out with a song recording and to pack up for a trip to Hawaii, which turned out to be the place where the press conference announcing the formation of Arashi was held.[4] With Ohno at the age of 18 at the time, Arashi was officially formed on September 15, 1999 and made their CD debut on November 3, 1999.[5] Since much of his trainee days was spent in Kyoto, he was the least known member during Arashi's early days.[6]

Ohno is the lead vocalist of Arashi.[7] Although his music career is primarily with Arashi, he had a solo concert called 3104 (which can be read as his name Satoshi in Japanese) in 2006[8] and in 2009, became the first and only member in Arashi to release a solo single.[9] It was a soundtrack for his drama Uta no Onii-san titled Kumorinochi, Kaisei by Yano Kenta starring Satoshi Ohno. Ohno also provided the vocals to the insert song "Yukai Tsukai Kaibutsu-kun" (ユカイツーカイ怪物くん?), which was released on July 7, 2010 as a single, for the drama Kaibutsu-kun.[10] On the Oricon daily singles chart, the single debuted at number-two behind Arashi's "To Be Free" and sold around 59,000 copies on the first day.[11]

He also choreographs dances for Arashi's concerts, such as the dances for the songs "Carnival Night Part 2", "Love Situation", "Tokei Jikake no Umbrella", as well as most of his solo performances.[12] In October 2012, it was announced via an official Arashi fanclub video that Ohno choreographed several of the songs for their upcoming live tour, Popcorn. It was revealed during Arashi's appearance on the music variety show, Hey! Hey! Hey!, on January 13, 2014 that Ohno choreographed the dance for their new single "Bittersweet".

In 1997, Ohno was a cast member of Kyo to Kyo with Musical Academy (MA) leader Shingo Machida (町田 慎吾,Machida Shingo?)[13] and continued to act in other stage productions such as Koichi Dōmoto'sMask and Shōnentai's Playzone after Kyo to Kyo was over.[6] Since then, he has done a number of stage plays such as the Pū (プーシリーズ,Wind?) series, West Side Story with bandmates Sho Sakurai and Jun Matsumoto, and Amatsukaze(アマツカゼ?).

In 2006, Ohno starred in Tensei Kunpū, another play that was part of the Pū series. He portrayed Kaoru Kazamine (風峰 薫,Kazamine Kaoru?), a man who was accidentally sent back to the Edo period of Japan through a system malfunction.[14]

In 1999, Ohno made his TV drama debut in the volleyball-centered short drama V no Arashi(Vの嵐?), which was Arashi's first drama together.

Ohno was given his first starring role in the 2008 suspense drama Maō. He co-starred with Johnny's Jr. member Toma Ikuta and portrayed a two-faced lawyer who sought for revenge against the person who murdered his brother years ago.[15]

In 2009, he starred in his first comedy drama Uta no Oniisan(歌のおにいさん,Brother of Songs?). With Kanjani Eight member Ryuhei Maruyama as his co-star, Ohno played a musician who unexpectedly becomes "Uta no Oniisan" for a children's program after being dumped by his girlfriend, kicked out of his band and labeled useless by his family.[16] On September 4, 2009, it was announced that a select number of different artists from Johnny's would take turns participating in a television mini-drama project on Fuji Television from October 23, 2009 to April 2010.[17][18] Entitled 0 Gōshitsu no Kyaku(0号室の客,Guest in Room 0?), Ohno starred in the first story called "Akogare no Otoko" (憧れの男,Yearning Man?), which ran for four episodes in total.[18] The first story was about a salaryman and a club hostess visiting a strange "Room 0" that can reveal anyone's "grade" as a human being.[18]

In January 2010, Ohno co-starred with the other members of Arashi in the human suspense drama special Saigo no Yakusoku(最後の約束,Last Promise?). Ohno portrayed Satoru Mashiko (益子 悟,Mashiko Satoru?), a 28-year-old employee of a cleaning company who is caught up in a building hijack.[19][20] On February 11, 2010, it was announced that Ohno is set to star in the live-action adaptation of the manga and animeKaibutsu-kun, which began airing on NTV from April on Saturdays.[21][22] Ohno made a guest appearance on the last episode of bandmate Sakurai's drama Tokujo Kabachi!!(特上カバチ!!,lit. Extraordinary Quibbling?) playing a corrupted lawyer.[23][24] He also reprised his role of Kaibutsu-kun for the Kaibutsu-kun special which aired on June 26, 2010.[25] Ohno starred in the second story, Hajime no Ippo(はじめの一歩,First Step?), of the Fall 2010 Yonimo Kimyōna Monogatari(世にも奇妙な物語?) special that aired on October 4, 2010.[26]

In October 2011, Ohno once again reprised his role of Kaibutsu-kun for another Kaibutsu-kun special, leading up to the story of the 3D movie version.[27] On January 3, 2012, Ohno starred in Mou Yuukai Nante Shinai(もう誘拐なんてしない,I Won't Kidnap Anymore?). He played the role of Tarui Shotaro, a freeter who can't forget his childhood dream of being a hero. However, he finds himself planning a fake kidnapping after he receives a request from the daughter of a boss of racketeers, played by co-star Yui Aragaki.[28][29]

In February 2012, it was announced that Ohno will co-star with Erika Toda in his first Getsuku drama, Kagi No Kakatta Heya( 鍵のかかった部屋,Locked Room?) starting in April. Based on the novel by Yusuke Kishi, Ohno portrays the lead character, Enomoto Kei, an employee at a major security firm who has an obsession with keys and locks. He will be solving mysteries that fall under the "locked room" mystery genre, in which seemingly impossible crimes are committed.[30] On August 24, 2013, Ohno starred in the drama special Kyo no Hi wa Sayonara(今日の日はさようなら,Farewell for Today?) which aired as part of the 24-hr television telethon in 2013. Ohno plays a 29 year old man named Kota who is diagnosed with malignant lymphoma. Given three months left to live, he makes a resolve to accept his fate and face death properly.[31]

He reprised the role of Enomoto Kei for the Kagi no Kakatta Heya special which aired on January 3, 2014. In February 2014, it was announced that Ohno will star in the live-action adaptation of the manga Shinigami-kun. Ohno will act as Shinigami-kun (Shinigami No.413) whose job is to pronounce death to expected people and take their souls to the spiritual world. As a rookie reaper, he tends to make biased decisions towards the human side which always causes him to be reprimanded by his boss.[32]

In 2002, Ohno made his motion picture debut in Arashi's first movie together, Pikanchi Life Is Hard Dakedo Happy(ピカ☆ンチ Life is HardだけどHappy,Pikanchi Life is Hard But Happy?). He portrayed Haru, a bizarre high school student who gets swindled during his trip to Harajuku. Two years later in 2004, Ohno reprised his role for the sequel Pikanchi Life Is Hard Dakara Happy(ピカ☆☆ンチ Life is HardだからHappy,Pikanchi Life is Hard Therefore Happy?).

In 2007, the group came together once again to act in their third movie together, Kiiroi Namida(黄色い涙,Yellow Tears?), with Ohno acting as an oil painter.[33]

In 2011, Ohno returned to the big screen starring as the lead actor in the film Kaibutsu-kun the Movie. His character, Kaibutsu Taro, is about to be crowned king, but is met with unexpected booing. Trying to escape to the human world, Taro and his three henchmen accidentally find themselves in a place known as the Curry Kingdom where he is mistaken as a legendary hero. The cast went overseas to India to shoot parts of the film. He became the first member in Arashi to star in a 3D film.[34]

When Ohno was in the third grade, he was inspired by his classmate's Dragon Ball illustration to start drawing. Since then, he has been drawing his own artwork and making original figurines.[2] In 2008, he held an art exhibition called Freestyle, making him the first artist in Johnny's to hold one.[36]

Because of his talent in the field of art, Ohno was appointed to host a four episode documentary for NHK entitled "Jakuchu Miracle World" starting on April 25, 2011. The documentary focused on analyzing artwork by a famous Edo era artist named Itō Jakuchū.[37] It was announced on July 28, 2012 that Ohno would host another documentary for NHK entitled "Everything Is For The Sake Of Delivering Dreams ~Walt Disney Trajectory of Creation~" on August 22, 2012. In commemoration of Walt Disney's 110th anniversary, the documentary will explore and reveal the secrets behind the origins and processes of Walt's creations.[38]

Ohno has designed the charity t-shirt for NTV's 24-hour television telethon three times, making him the first artist to do so. He was in charge of designing the t-shirt for the first time in 2004. In 2012, Ohno collaborated with Japanese artist Yoshitomo Nara and their design sold 764,198 copies, setting a new record. In the following year, Ohno collaborated with Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama to design the t-shirt for that year's telethon. It sold 1,244,469 copies, making it the most successful in the history of the telethon.[39]